Amanda Gorman Looks Absolutely Unreal On Her Latest Magazine Cover

Once upon a time, I, sadly, didn't think twice about who the poet laureate was. But, since I heard Amanda Gorman's recitation of "The Hill We Climb" at Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, I, like most of the nation, have been absolutely enraptured with the National Youth Poet Laureate. And she hasn't stopped rising to the top since. On April 7, Amanda Gorman became the first poet to cover Vogue, and of course she looked absolutely stunning.

"What is poetry if not beauty?" Gorman wrote in an Instagram post about the cover. "What a joy to do this cover while wearing a piece designed by groundbreaking Black designer Virgil Abloh that honors my heritage." The Off-White founder and creative director of Louis Vuitton dressed her in an incredibly vibrant gown with a graphic green, orange, and brown print for the cover. The dress is cinched around her waist with a gold belt, and the puffy sleeve and train add serious drama to the design. A standout design for a standout person.

The rest of the photo shoot features Gorman poised like a ballerina in a soft pink, tulle dress; looking like a classical statue in a sculpted white gown; and practically flying in a matching patterned coat and skirt. All of her looks were styled by her stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. Gorman's grace radiates through the photo, so it's not surprising she signed with IMG Models in February 2021 — not that modeling is the be-all and end-all for Gorman.

With a weighty mindfulness unexpected from a 23-year-old but fitting for the poet, Gorman talked about her recent signing. "When I’m part of a campaign, the entity isn’t my body. It’s my voice,” she said before admitting she's recently turned down $17,000,000 in offers. “I have to be conscious of taking commissions that speak to me." Instead of money and fame, Gorman's focus remains steadfast on what she can do for poetry and for her country.

You can expect a lot more from the star — maybe even a campaign for president one day. For now, however, Gorman's first two books, Change Sings: A Children's Anthem and The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, are set to be released in September and are already best-sellers. As for future fashion campaigns, you can be sure she'll pick them with careful discernment.